Who Is Bridget Kelly? Former Chris Christie Aide Sentenced To 13 Months In Prison

A former deputy chief of staff to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was re-sentenced Wednesday to 13 months in prison for her role in the lane-closing scandal "Bridgegate."

Bridget Anne Kelly was convicted in November 2016, along with co-defendant Bill Baroni, for a plot to cause traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat who wouldn't endorse the re-election of Christie, a Republican.

Kelly's sentence was reduced Wednesday to 13 months from 18 months after a federal appeals court in November 2018 tossed out the civil-rights counts of her conviction.

In a prepared statement outside the federal courthouse in Newark, Kelly, who at times held back tears, targeted Christie, whom she called a "bully," and others who did not face punishment.

"The fact that I am on these steps in place of others from the Christie administration, and the governor himself, does not prove my guilt — it only proves that justice is not blind," she said. “It has favorites, it misses the mark, it misses the truth, and it picks winners and losers that are sometimes beyond anyone’s control."

She also stated that for over five years she was driven from her home "and at one time forced into hiding."

Kelly, 46, garnered national attention for an August 2013 email that read: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." Massive gridlock ensued over the course of four days the following month and New Jersey taxpayers were stuck with a $15 million bill in legal fee and related fees, while Kelly became one of the most visible faces of Bridgegate.

The New York Post in January 2014 quoted neighbors who described Kelly "as a 'typical suburban mom' who sends her four kids ... to Catholic schools."

The Post took note of Kelly's family, listing one brother as a longtime emergency responder and another who works for the New Jersey Treasury.

Kelly and her ex-husband Joseph Kelly, a golf pro, divorced in 2012, and have joint custody of two daughters and two sons. In her prepared speech, she praised the "fortitude" and "strength" of her children: MaryKate, Conor, Liam and AnneMarie.

In interviews with NewJersey.com, Kelly said she has been unable to find work since she was fired in January 2014 from a job that paid $140,000 a year and that unemployment has cost her and her children health-care coverage. She also said she receives financial help from friends and family for bills and her children's school tuition.

"It’s ruined my life," Kelly said of the Bridgegate scandal.